Kure Beach, NC

Joe Eakes Park

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3.65(based on 40 reviews)
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4 0
epritt
Experience: 3.1 years 7 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun in the Sun (and sand) 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 30, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

There are a lot of positives about this course.

Layout- The layout is pretty intuitive with a good flow. I did get a little turned around looking for the tee box on hole 4, but I attribute that more to it being my first time playing than a poor design.

Floor- The sandy floor is awesome. I've never played another course with a floor like this, and it was a huge reason i wanted to try it out. I was not disappointed. Air shots are pretty much the only play here, even though a lot of the holes also have low ceilings. The combination of low ceiling and sandy floor made for a very fun and unique challenge.

Location- The course is very accessible. Close to major roads and located in a public park, so there's free parking less than 100 feet from the practice basket and first tee box.

Map- There's a large course map just before hole 1 that's pretty true to the course. It shows all tee locations, basket locations, and paths from each hole to the next. It was cool to see an overview of the entire course. There are also signs at every tee pad with basket locations and distances.

Tees- The tees are a combination of rubber mats, concrete, brick, and wood. I was sure that with the sand I'd find myself slipping on a tee pad or two, but that wasn't an issue at all. There are also benches at every single tee, which is nice if you're playing with a group, if you're waiting to play through, or if you just want to take a break or set your bag up off the ground.

Hole variation- There are short holes (<200 feet), average holes (270-350 feet) and long-ish holes (450+ feet). There are also par 3s, 4s, and one par 5. Some holes are wide open, some are highly wooded, some are straight, and some have sharp turns (an overhand is a fun play from the tee on a couple of holes). I used every shot in my arsenal on this course.

Cons:

Signage- I found a couple of the hole maps to be misleading or inaccurate. One hole in particular had a sign that showed the basket ahead and slightly to the right, but after I threw an anhyzer RHBH, I moved to where I could see the basket and realized it was actually to the left, so my shot ended up 100 feet off the fairway from where I should have been. Since I couldn't see the basket from the tee pad, I was relying on the sign and it was misleading, at best. Most holes did not have this issue.

Multiple tee pads/baskets- There is an "alternate" route, but not every hole had 2 tee pads, and there was only one basket at each location. I like a course that has multiple baskets and/or multiple tee pads on every hole to make each round more customizable. This course doesn't really have that option.

Bathrooms- I may have missed them, but I looked around and couldn't find any bathrooms anywhere at the park. Make sure you take care of that before you arrive.

Elevation- This course is super flat. There are technical holes, long holes, short holes, which are all great, but the last bit of variation is elevation change, and this course doesn't have any elevation change at all.

Other Thoughts:

This course plays fast- I played 18 in an hour and 20 minutes, which included getting a little bit lost at one point (more my fault than the course's) and throwing multiple drives and approach shots on a few holes since nobody was behind me. What the course lacks in combinations of baskets and tee pads, it makes up for in distance variation and open and technical shots, and a unique floor unlike any course I've ever played. As an out of towner here for vacation, I loved this course and had a great time playing it. I hope to be back soon!
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4 0
hostile carrot
Experience: 6 played 6 reviews
4.50 star(s)

You can see the ocean 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 6, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

It is on an island.
You can see the ocean from the first tee pad and various other locations.
Free parking and you can walk to the ocean and swim after a round.
Tons of variety for hole shapes and distances. A couple of holes in the low/mid 200' range up to some 500'+. Pars 3/4/5s.
Ground is pretty much entirely sand, no skips so you can focus on placing your shops.
One of the few courses in NC with very few trees over 20' tall so you can bomb long drives over the trees if you have the power.

Cons:

Mosquitos can be bad during the summer, especially after hurricanes.
Ground is all sand so you won't get that extra skip, but I mean, it is on an island.
Course is kinda confusing from holes 3 through 6 if you don't know you have to cross a road.

Other Thoughts:

I don't understand why this course has such a low score. If you are relatively new, it is probably going to kick your butt, but the course is fair and unlike pretty much any other course in NC. I love it.
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1 2
dabvt13
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Great Variety, Great Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 1, 2020 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Great course, every hole has a different feel. Pars 3, 4 and 5. Each hole also has an "alternate" tee box and depending on the day the basket can be moved to an alternate location. The basket location is noted on a sign by the first tee, and each hole has a placard showing the hole layout.

Cons:

A few tee boxes are tough to find. Lots of sand on the course, not necessarily a con, but wear proper footwear.

Other Thoughts:

Awesome course, played multiple times while here on vacation with my family.
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1 0
scrowl92
Experience: 14.2 years 13 played 8 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great discin’ at the beach! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 28, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

-variation of pars
-variation of dog leg left/right
-beautiful park: clean, maintained

Cons:

-TERRIBLE rough: errant drives guaranteed at least a double bogey

Other Thoughts:

Great fun in Kure Beach. Worth checking out if you are in the area. Cheers from a California discer!
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7 0
mshelton
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.9 years 140 played 32 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Easy bake oven 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 12, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

A change from normal courses
Well kept park
Benches
Ball field to warm up in
Requires use of shots that aren't normally thrown.

Cons:

HOT
Some tee pads are in real bad shape
Signage can be off by a lot
Some baskets and even fairways can be difficult to find
HOT

Other Thoughts:

This isn't a bad course and actually kind of cool but it's definitely a departure from normal east coast golf. The trees/rough is thick, it grabs discs and does not let go, you need to shape your shots to the fairways and in most spots keep them low. Knowing that and sticking to it can make this a fun course.

One big mistake I made was playing this on a hot day and in the middle of the day, the sun reflecting off the white sand baked me, I felt like a burnt loaf of bread at the end of the round. Try and catch this one in the morning if playing in the summer.

Some of the hole diagrams can be frustrating, if you're playing for the first time just walk up the fairway and find the basket, going by the signs doesn't end well.

Also bring plenty of water and bug spray, the ticks are pretty bad.
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6 0
kinger
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14 years 101 played 101 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Coastal Carolina Creativity 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 11, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

~Easily accessible
~Interesting terrain
~Good flow / simple to navigate
~Solid mix of hole layouts
~Abundance of benches
~Fun course for most skill levels

Cons:

~Tee pads not long enough, some were uneven
~A few holes not accurately depicted on tee signs
~Fairly repetitive layout
~Little to no elevation change

Other Thoughts:

Played an afternoon round with my family while visiting the Kure Beach area during our vacation. A hot and humid day, however the course provided some shelter from the sun. My first coastal terrain course, and I found the landscape wonderful. Very different from what this oHIo boy is used to. The trees are a unique feature, defining the borders of each hole and are punishing to errant shots. Low enough to fly over on a few shots, but the trees along with the sandy ground are what make this layout fun. I liked the tee pads overall, but they are a couple feet short for full X-steps, and a handful have become uneven. Not a deal breaker since many of the holes are short and precise enough to warrant a stand and deliver tee shot. The swirling breeze also influence you to keep your shots level and low. Course starts out with the first handful of holes favoring right hand back hand, and this lefty quickly grew concerned that the entire course may follow suit. Fortunately the layout soon opened up to a nice mix of tee shots favoring both lefty's and right handed players alike. Scattered throughout the course are shorter technical holes allowing birdie opportunities and ace runs. The course is relatively flat with a repetitive flow, but overall I found it well designed and extremely fun to throw. Not too long, not too short and suitable for most players. Would definitely play again if I find my way back down!
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4 0
RedHeadedStepChild
Experience: 31.1 years 12 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Excellent course...horrible terrain 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 1, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

I thought the layout of this course was very well thought out with a nice mix of shots needs. There are tight shots, big booming hyzers and anhyzers, and wide open fairways for power drives.
There are nice tee signs that give you a general idea of how the hole is laid out. (more on that later).
The area is pretty much a disc golf only area. There is a dirt road that you have to walk across a few times, but no holes cross it so you shouldn't have to throw across it.

Cons:

These are not strong cons, but I felt that to be fair, I needed to mention them.

It's not a really pretty piece of land. It's on an island that's pretty much a giant sandbar, so the landscape consists of sand and scrub trees and bushes. It looks like a post-apocalyptic setting from a video game.
It's tough to navigate the holes if you haven't been there before. Around half of your drives are thrown blind and even though there is always a good 'major' fairway, there are also at least 5-6 openings off the sides of each fairway where the hole could end up being, What I'm trying to say is that it's hard to predict where the basket is going to be like you could on a wooded course.
The tee signs give you a rough idea of where the basket should be, but with all the pockets of trees and brush, don't assume anything until you actually see the basket with your own eyes. (You'd have to add a lot of landscape detail to the signs for them to be more helpful, but I honestly don't think that it would be worth it. The existing simplicity of the signs is still good.)
I think that there's a good possibility of some holes having pools of water after a big rain. The first 150' of hole 1 was flooded when I played after a quick rainstorm.
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7 0
pmay5
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.8 years 480 played 245 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Short trees, sand and some distance! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 24, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good DISCatchers, nice tee signs, benches on every hole (a little thin but OK). Lots of the low, scrub beach trees, so it was good to be able to spot the yellow bands.
Course had a surprising amount of distance, was not expecting that. A couple of Par 4s early on, then the back nine has three Par 4s and a Par 5.
Has a mix of right and left holes, seemed like more left to right, and also some S holes.
DG only section of the park, restrooms available, nice location down the coast, especially if you are staying that far down.

Cons:

Rubber mat tee pads were a little short and some were coming up. Often covered with sand, but on this course, sand is everywhere.
A couple of tees had "No overhead Shots" signs, maybe they've had problems in the past, if not, if you can throw it, throw it!
Fair amount of trash on the course, a few trash cans, but not used a lot.

Other Thoughts:

This is a mostly fun, beach course. Just about every fairway was sand, and the small, scrub trees. You definitely know you aren't at your home course. I got a little worn down with the tightness of some fairways, but I think that was on me.
#4 was a cool, short Ace run, through an odd shaped tree.
#10 was a fun, S shaped Par 4, left then right to the basket.
#15 was a tough, long hole, finishing at a tightly guarded basket.
#18 is a fun, low ceiling drive to a sand covered green. A nice challenge if you can't go over the trees.
I can tell this course gets some play and it should. It makes you throw all types of shots. If we are staying down this way, I'll play it again, but if we are staying up in Wilmington, I'll go back to Castle Hayne.
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13 0
KenanFlagler01
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14 years 195 played 190 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Beach golf 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 22, 2018 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Joe Eakes Park is a fun and challenging course at Kure Beach. It's true beach disc golf: all sand terrain; scraggly, thick underbrush; pine trees; lots of insects; and all the heat and humidity you can stand! If you're making beach plans, go to Kure or Carolina Beach and have this course in your backyard. I did. It was worth it.

+ Very challenging, well laid out course. Lots of s-curve fairways, sharp hyzers and annies. Stay on the fairways though! Did I mention the beach underbrush? It's no joke.

+ Very unique setting. It's the only course I've played that I'd truly call a beach course.

+ This course will force you to use every shot in your bag. There are long holes where you really need to rip. There are all kinds of different lines and angles. There are risk/reward elements. For example, do you lay up in a landing zone on a par 4 or try to zig-zag or go over some brush and risk a big number...or a lost disc? I thought the course was really challenging and had me thinking the whole time.

+ Good baskets, navigation.

+ Other park amenities: tennis courts, baseball field, etc.

Cons:

- Far and away the biggest con for me is the mix of numerous blind tee shots with short but thick brush. It's very easy to lose a disc here, especially without a spotter. If you do lose a disc, look on the ground *and* in the brush/trees. They're so thick, sometimes the disc doesn't make it to the ground. I made the mistake of throwing my favorite disc, which happened to be white, same color as the sand and the glaring beach sunlight, off the fairway and never saw it again. (If you find a Lucid Escape on hole 2, I'll pay you a reward for it!)

- Obviously, the biggest pro of this course is its uniqueness and proximity to the beach. This can be a con too. Why? Three words: Heat, humidity, and bugs.. I'm serious. It can be oppressive. I was on the beach in the morning -- a normal July day. It was low 90s, but very breezy. Felt fine on the beach. But get to the course, with thick brush blocking the breeze, trapping the heat, and it's like a sauna. The humidity was probably 99% when I played. Throw in some sand gnats, mosquitos, and ticks (there are actually warning signs about the ticks) and it's just beachy! Plan your round accordingly.

- Some of the rubber tees were uneven and/or had sand buildup on them.

- Minor nit-pick, but par 61 for this course is pretty generous. There are some tweaner holes that could be par 3 or 4. They went with par 4 (and even one 5) on all of them. I played this course blind the first time and shot 2 under, which *never* happens for me at a true white level (or intermediate) course.

Other Thoughts:

Make plans to play this one. The disc golf scene in Wilmington is really strong. Castle Hayne is the crown jewel, but Joe Eakes is a great undercard course. Throw in the two beginner courses, including Trinity, which is 5 minutes away from Joe Eakes, and you have all the elements for a beach/DG vacay destination. Tip: play Trinity at the Good Hops Brewery as a warm-up or cool-down paired with Joe Eakes.
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6 0
Balzac
Experience: 22 years 94 played 13 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Beach Golf 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 23, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Close to the beach; easy to head right over to the ocean to cool off after a round. The ground is also very sandy which I enjoyed.
- Great signage. There is a large map by the first hole and every hole has a nice sign at the tee pad. There are markers to help direct you to the next hole for the ones that are not obvious.
- Benches at every hole.
- A variety of left and right shots that make you use all your skills.
- Each hole has a pretty clear line that you can take to the basket; however if you get off to either side you can plan on adding a stroke or two (or three).
- There is a dog park and baseball field at the park, but the course is separated enough that there is little chance of a bad throw landing there.

Cons:

- Lots of blind shots. I've only played it once but there was a number of times I was throwing my second shot without knowing exactly where the pin was (even with walking a bit further down the fairway to look).
- Some holes are very close to each other. If it's busy you will need to keep an eye out for errant shots from other holes.
- Minor nitpick but the par on some holes seems pretty generous; you can mess up on some of the par 4s and the par 5 and still manage to get par.

Other Thoughts:

- I had a lot of fun playing this course. I definitely enjoyed it more than the storied Castle Hayne which I played earlier in the day.
- Depending on your abilities and knowledge of the course there are a number of ways to attack it. I tried to stay low and along the fairway but I could see someone throwing some hyzer bombs to get over the trees and avoiding the required line to make it to the pin.
- Speaking of the trees, these are short scrub beach trees; it would be easy to get a disc stuck in them if you air it out. Very different from most other North Carolina courses that have tall pines throughout.
- If I lived closer I would make it a point to play this course regularly. Highly recommended.
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1 4
Ace22
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Bomb Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 22, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Honestly this course is way up there on my lists of courses. It's just the right blend of some tight lines with nice open gaps. The atmosphere is awesome and it's just a really fun course.

The huge hyzer routes that can be taken were a nice bonus and trees/shrubs used to creatively protect baskets was cool.

Cons:

Course navigation was difficult at times and not knowing where baskets were truly located made life a bit difficult.

More Tee pad info would be nice but can't complain it's a great course.

Other Thoughts:

This course is a true gem and if you have the free time to stop by u should totally play it. Great course. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
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7 0
Ryan P.
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 18 years 64 played 20 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Beach Course Through and Through 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 26, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-My favorite feature is that almost every hole requires thought.
-Most holes are completely different
-Benches on every hole I can remember.
-Trash cans were recently emptied
-Some of the best signage I've ever seen. A huge course map sign right near tee 1, great signs to start each hole, and small signs near the end of many holes pointing to the next.

Cons:

-biggest con is that some tees start too close to the previous pin. In other words, be careful if someone is ahead of you or behind you.
-all flat. There are three holes with elevation that comes into play, and the largest change is maybe +5.
-some holes invite you to throw over the short trees, but those same trees will catch your disc with an iron grip if you miss the fairway. I spent probably 20 minutes knocking my discs out of three trees, and I only threw high off the fairway 5 times.
-5/6 and 7/8 are similar holes. This happens on courses, but I didn't like them being back-to-back.
-sand everywhere. impossible to avoid it.
-par is not accurate at all for advanced/pros. I shouldn't throw two below average shots, then a good 60' approach and be rewarded with a drop-in par or birdie. This happened four times in my second round.

Other Thoughts:

Like I said in the pros section, almost every holes requires a good decision. There are options on many holes, and you have to make the best choice for your abilities. Few courses require you to think on more than 9 holes, and this one makes you think on about 15. You can play the short safe shot down the fairway or put it on a rope. You can go over the trees or between them. You can take the left route or the right one. This course asks you to use the mental side of your game unlike most courses.

Conclusion: The negatives aren't design flaws, they are simply the lay of the land. The course designers did a good job with what they had (aside from the par issue, which is easily ignorable if you don't like it). Really smart hole design with many different options. Grab some water and a snack at the Sunoco if you don't have any, cause this course is hot!
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5 1
Schleppy
Experience: 34.1 years 81 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

sandy beaches! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 24, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good signage
Benches
Good fun challenge
Par 61
Well maintained
Decent direction from hole to hole

Cons:

Nitpicking, but I'm not a fan of mandos unless they are totally necessary. A couple of the mandos were a little unnecessary in my opinion.

Other Thoughts:

This was a fun and challenging par 61 course. The designers made good use of the beachy scrubby terrain they were dealt with. The par 4 and 5 holes really made me use hole management which I really like to see on a course. Overall I had a great experience playing this course and I highly recommend it to anyone that is visiting the beaches of southeastern North Carolina.
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13 0
splatbaseball51
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15 years 182 played 58 reviews
3.50 star(s)

A beach course with little wind! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 7, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The course is nestled in the back of a small little sports park with a few amenities like portable bathrooms, but you'll need to go a few blocks over to find anything substantial.

The course itself utilizes the existing land fairly well, however it appears there is some underutilized areas near the back of the course. I'm not sure who owns that area and if it would even be available for use so I can't unjustly fault the designers, if fact I'll merely make the suggestion to expand to 27 holes!

For a beach course, this one doesn't hold water hardly at all, unlike many including Castle Hayne in nearby Wilmington. This means that even on those typical summer days at the beach that involves a light shower, you'll still be able to play without tromping around in galoshes.

As for the layout of the course, I'll venture to say it is fairly extensive, however that may be a bit of a stretch seeing as most of the holes have a low canopy to prevent you from really opening up. Big arm players could do really well here by going up and over the canopy to avoid having to be tight and technical. There is a nice variety of short/long, left/right holes but almost zero elevation change (you are at the beach after all!) and surprisingly no water hazards either. Apart from that, however, the shot variety is pretty well planned out.

The course has ample seating as well as tee signs that are well made, however some appeared to have old/misleading hole layouts on them. Perhaps the locals should take a look at re-making those.

Navigation between holes is not hard at all, and in the few instances that signs are needed, they are present. It's always nice knowing you don't have to worry about navigation when playing a course for the first time, and you shouldn't here.

The front nine and back nine both play back to the starting pavilion/practice basket area, which always is a pro in my book. Often times you'll need to play the back 9 first and this allows you to do that.

Cons:

I've already briefly touched on some of the cons in the above, but to be thorough I'll mention them here.

There aren't any holes that require traversing a water hazard. Additionally, there is little to no elevation change on the course, which is to be expected at a course located so close to the ocean.

Several of the signs have hole layouts depicting something slightly different than the actual hole. Perhaps they made the signs before finalizing the design? In any case, a slight negative.

The shrubs/canopy is extremely thick in some places. The fact that you can go out and over this canopy lends itself to discs becoming stuck/lost amongst the trees. Be aware of this, especially on the many holes that require a blind shot, and if you have a spotter, use them!

The Difficulty of the course is diminished for big arm players who can muscle the disc up and over the canopy for big hyzer shots. Casual players shouldn't notice. I have a feeling that a pro could come in and tear up the course after playing/walking it over.

Other Thoughts:

This course lends itself to being played. If you're going to be in the area, don't hesitate to play it, even if it recently rained. It's a fun and semi-challenging course and I'm glad the Carolina Beach community is beginning to show support for disc golf! Take some speakers out there and put on some Buffett and lose yourself in some golf!
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4 2
dwbaker
Experience: 28.8 years 50 played 9 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Joe Eakes Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 17, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Using DG Course Review made it easy to find this course and where to start. By the parking lot where the first hole begins is a large course map! This course is very fun to play. It has narrow, but not impossible fairways. I only needed to throw long on a few holes. I really liked how the course designers used the lay of the land to make this an interesting course. You'll probably want to play this course once or walk it before you really try to attack it. There are many holes where you cannot see the basket from the tee. I really liked how I was challenged to really think about each shot and not just throw as hard as I can to get to the next basket. The course is well signed to make it easy to find the next hole. I love courses that can end the 9th hole at the parking lot so if you only have time for 9 holes you can! I definitely plan to play this course again. I must have been lucky today, I did not find a single tick!

Other Thoughts:

I met a friendly dog walker on the course. There is a dog park near the 18th hole. There are tennis courts and a playground. The course is very close to Kure Beach which is a great place to cool off after a hot round.
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1 5
darnleyroad
Experience: 10.6 years 117 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fantastic Beach Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 8, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course is great. There's a good variety of holes, from par 3 - par 4, and good distance. There are a lot of narrow fairways and low trees that make it tricky, but they're a fun challenge.

Cons:

There are warning signs for ticks everywhere, so watch out. Also, it's a beach course, so there's a lot of sand. It can make for tricky footing, both throwing and walking. Also you'll probably be taking some with you.

Other Thoughts:

I didn't get to use my driver too much because the course is pretty trick in certain areas, but it was a lot of fun. One of the best in the area!
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14 0
reposado
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.8 years 278 played 273 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 8, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

One of the trickiest parts of constructing a course review is separating personal enjoyment of a course from a more objective take on its quality. So many things can make a course better for a person than it will necessarily be for everyone else. And I don't mean things like the weather, or the group you play with. I mean things about the course that appeal more to you than they probably do to the average player. I mention this now because Joe Eakes is one of those courses that hits all my sweet spots. The beachy vibe. The multiple turns on fairways. Just how unique the atmosphere is. I loved it all and I definitely got at least a 4.0 experience. But this is one of those times where I think I can be more objective than that.

That said, Joe Eakes is still a very good course and one that I think could grow on people with multiple plays. The trees are mostly low, in many cases begging to be thrown over. Familiarity with the course would allow a player to take advantage of that. It's tough to do that the first time as with these bending fairways, a new player does not know where he wants to actually land if he takes the high road. He is thus restricted to the low road, and I mean the low road, since these low branches take away several options to throw at head-level or higher.

That leaves a player with throwing down the dead center of the fairway. Considering that many throws are blind from the tee, this can be difficult. In a good way, that is. The fairways aren't overly narrow and they are well shaped to be able to throw a disc down them and hit the appropriate curve. It's really a nicely designed course aimed at intermediate players. There is a solid flow from hole to hole and a series of nicely distinguishable holes can be played by all ability-levels.

The vibe is also enhanced by all the little touches on the course, like the stone-lined pathways. It's one of the courses that sticks in the head. It's memorable. It's memorable and good. It's really one that if you're in the area, you'll want to play. Especially considering how it is unlike pretty much everything else in the state.

Cons:

My experience was good enough that makes it tough to find things wrong, but obviously, it is perfectly flat and without water. I don't think that every course needs those, but I've yet to play a course that I thought of as elite that didn't include at least one of them. Partly for that reason, and partly because of what I mentioned about being able to go over the top if you know the course, I think elite players would eat this up if they knew the layout. At the same time, it doesn't stroke me as entirely beginner-friendly, though I saw groups of younglings playing, so perhaps that notion is incorrect.

Other Thoughts:

I've played courses close to the beach before. I've never played a course this good close to the beach, though. It's a pretty unique experience and for those accustomed to Carolina golf, this is something different that needs to be played.
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5 4
LeeLK
Experience: 15.8 years 68 played 52 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Great old-school style course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 24, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Has a very "old-school" feel to it. Worn fairways with single- or double-doglegs, a few 4/5 pars. Well maintained. Good signage. Just enough trees to make you try hard. Fun beach environment (what species of trees are these?).

Cons:

Not many to speak of. The vegetation can be pretty unforgiving, so keep your shots in the fairway if you can help it. Otherwise, have a great time.

Other Thoughts:

Bonus points for having #9 circle back to the parking lot. A bit of a hike down south of wilmington, so not ideal if youre coming from out of town, but if youre in the area, definitely check it out.
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6 4
Nemmers
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.7 years 89 played 33 reviews
3.50 star(s)

A Close Second.... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 30, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

....to Castle Hayne.

- Very challenging, great layout, and extremely well taken care of.

- Wide variety of holes. Some you can air it out on, but many are extremely technical. There are even a few holes with signs that say, "No overhead throws from tee." This adds another degree of difficulties as the holes that sport these signs seem ideal for a hammer or a tomahawk.

- Some tight fairways, but quite a few that allow you to open up and let 'er rip. Definitely a course worth checking out if you're looking to improve your accuracy.

- Solid baskets and tee boxes. Benches on every tee and the baskets still have the price tag on them.

- Exceptional layout. Whomever designed this course was obviously determined to challenge the players.

Cons:

- Trees like to "eat" discs. Have had to shake my disc out of a treetop on more than one occasion. (But that's more my fault than the trees.) Errant shots can be punished very severely.

- If you've never played the course before, the maps on the tee boxes can be a bit misleading.

- No topless Hooters girls frolicking along the #8 fairway.

Other Thoughts:

Having played all the courses in Wilmington, I have to put Joe Eakes at a close second to The Castle. It's a challenge and the area is very nice. If you're heading to the beach, do yourself a favor and remember your discs. You'll be glad you played this course.
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3 2
Bowman101
Experience: 6 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

A little longer than Arrowhead 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 14, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Longer drives than Arrowhead park(other course in Wilmington)
-Great use of space
-Away from other public utilities
-Lots of challenging throws
-good signage

Cons:

-Not as friendly for beginners because of a lot of trees.
-sandy
-bugs

Other Thoughts:

This is a great course. Arrowhead park is home course for me, but this would be second. One big thing unfortunately is that there are a lot of bugs. My buddy and I went and both had bad cases of the chiggers. So when yall want to play this course, bring bugspray and reapply constantly to prevent. Overall, good change of scenery and good course.
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